Was St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco) — asbestos documented in litigation?

St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco) — is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco) — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco) — products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Brake-Friction

Frisco Yards, Locomotive Shops, Roundhouses, Car Shops

⚖ Litigation Record1876-1980 (merged into BN); asbestos era through 1980Asbestos brake-shoe dust, locomotive insulation, asbestos pipe covering, shop facility asbestos

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Premises Description

St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company (“Frisco” — founded 1876, headquartered St. Louis MO; merged into Burlington Northern Railroad in 1980) was through most of the 20th century a principal U.S. south-central Class I freight railroad. Despite its name, Frisco never reached San Francisco — its system extended from St. Louis MO southwest through Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee.

Frisco operated major shop facilities through the asbestos era at Springfield MO (Northtown Shop — the principal Frisco mechanical complex), St. Louis MO, Memphis TN, Tulsa OK, Birmingham AL, and Pensacola FL, plus dozens of intermediate roundhouse, locomotive-servicing, and car-repair facilities.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) that Frisco — and its successors Burlington Northern (1980-1996) and BNSF Railway (1996-present) — exposed the railroad workforce to asbestos through brake-shoe dust, locomotive insulation disturbance, shop-facility asbestos, and asbestos-laden freight cars.

St. Louis-San Francisco Railway / BNSF Railway has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation under FELA — including in cases venued in St. Louis MO courts where the railroad’s corporate headquarters were located.

Workers Exposed

Railroad car repairmen at Springfield, St. Louis, Memphis, Tulsa, and Birmingham
Locomotive engineers and firemen on Frisco trains
Railroad shop machinists, boilermakers, pipefitters, and electricians at Springfield Northtown
Roundhouse and locomotive-servicing workers
Frisco yard switchmen, conductors, and brakemen

If You Worked for Frisco Railway

If you worked for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco), Burlington Northern, or BNSF Railway during the asbestos era at any Frisco yard, shop, roundhouse, or facility — including at the Springfield MO Northtown Shop — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness, you may have legal rights under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA).

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Product Facts

Trade NameFrisco Yards, Locomotive Shops, Roundhouses, Car Shops

Years Produced1876-1980 (merged into BN); asbestos era through 1980

Asbestos ContentAsbestos brake-shoe dust, locomotive insulation, asbestos pipe covering, shop facility asbestos

CategoryBrake-Friction Electrical Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Railroad workersLocomotive engineersRailroad shop machinistsCar repairmen

Sponsored Legal Resource — Attorney Advertising

Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

Free case evaluation — no obligation to hire
No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
Trust fund claims, civil lawsuits, and VA benefits pursued simultaneously

Call: (314) 207-2823 Free consultation — available now

O’Brien Law Firm

Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

Get a Free Case Evaluation

Attorney Advertising. This website is published by Rights Watch Media Group LLC, an independent media organization, and is not a law firm. Visiting this site or submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. O’Brien Law Firm is a licensed Missouri law firm. Free consultations are offered at no obligation. Legal representation is provided on a contingency basis — there is no charge unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf. Individual results vary; past results do not guarantee future outcomes. This site receives compensation when visitors connect with participating law firms.